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IMPORTANCE OF WATER

Comets

The early solar system was filled with comets zipping around. When they collided with burgeoning planets, they delivered ices of compounds like water and carbon dioxide, as well as heavier elements. Without comets, the composition of planets--including Earth and Jupiter--would be much different today.

Comets are diverse, made from an assortment of materials. The materials had to have formed in different temperatures and therefore at different distances from the sun. That means the different types of comets must have originated from different regions of the early solar system. By measuring the amount of water in Jupiter, Juno will help determine the origin of the ancient comets that first brought water to the planet.